Book Review: Lore Olympus: Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe

 

Webtoon readers rejoice! We are finally starting to get some of our stories in print. 

While webtoons are uber convenient and portable, sometimes you find a title that you want to have a physical copy of. Lore Olympus is that webtoon for me. 

Lore Olympus: Vol.1, a graphic novel available for checkout at some Birmingham Public Library and Jefferson County Library Cooperative locations,  collects the first 25 chapters of the insanely popular webtoon by Rachel Smythe. And luckily, there are more volumes on the way!

 I was drawn to this webtoon because I have always been interested in mythology from around the world. 

Lore Olympus focuses on a major story in Greek mythology: the love story of Hades and Persephone. Hades, the brother of Zeus, falls in love with Persephone is determined to be with her. 

In order to possess Persephone, he kidnaps her and takes her to the underworld. Fortunately, in the classic myth, Persephone eventually falls in love with Hades, and they live happily together. 

Smythe takes this well-known story and presents a contemporary retelling of the Hades and Persephone story. The characters have been pulled into a modern time and with that comes modern problems. In addition, we get side stories of other Gods and Goddesses, which helps to flesh out the world that the main characters live in. 

Their stories are like the things that we go through, which brings an element of relatability to the book. The artwork is a wonderful concoction of pinks, blues and purples that delight just as much as the written text.

In my opinion, the coloring sets the tone for the characters and an important part of the storytelling. 

Lore Olympus has taken the world by storm. So much so that it is currently being adapted into a television series. 

As Smythe continues to add to the story, you are sure to see more talk about this story in both webtoon and print format. This book is perfect for a lazy weekend when you want to try something different.

By Pam Jessie|Branch Manager, Southside Library